Senator Bob Mensch: "I made a mistake."

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, Pa. -- A state lawmaker has stopped his push to have the state “cash in” by selling off electric services.

Sen. Bob Mensch, R-Montgomery County, told 8 On Your Side he made a mistake in his approach to a state Senate bill that would have allowed the state to "sell off” consumers to various electric suppliers at $100 a piece.

An estimated 3.5 million electric customers in Pennsylvania would have been impacted by this bill, which sought to prevent consumers from choosing their electric company.

Mensch said his primary goal was to strengthen the competitive market to let all Pennsylvanians have the availability of cheaper electric. He said he believed the strategy of getting more customers to make a choice would enable more competition to lower electric rates.

The senator said that at the end of this year’s session, the bill will no longer be viable.

However, Mensch has plans to retool it and offer another proposal that will not force consumers to make a choice. His new plan includes a cap on variable rates and consumer education on electric choices.